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It’s customary to break the Ramadan fast with the eating of dates, because that’s what the prophet did. But after that, the range of popular Ramadan dishes varies widely.

“There are no specific foods that are prescribed for Ramadan,” says lawyer El-Farouk Khaki. “Clearly somebody from East Africa, where I come from, will have a different menu than somebody from Albania.”

Practising Muslims fast every day from the morning prayer at sunrise to the iftar, the meal at sunset that breaks the fast. This year Ramadan begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 19.

Khaki is planning his annual Salaam Peace Iftar at the Church St. Community Centre from 7 to 11 p.m. on July 20. The average sundown this year, according to a Ramadan calendar on apnatoronto.com, is 8:30 p.m.

You might expect a massive feast at the end of a day of fasting. But Khaki says that’s not usually the case.

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“When I fast, I find that my stomach shrinks over time. I know people who actually put on weight during Ramadan because they gorge themselves at the end of the night.

“That’s not really what you’re supposed to do,” Khaki points out. “Part of the spiritual experience of Ramadan is to learn restraint and moderation.”

Laury Silvers is a professor of Muslim studies at the University of Toronto. “You’re meant to be constantly observing yourself and the fasting keeps you on target,” she says. “When you’re fasting all day long, the texture of life changes in a very profound and deeply spiritual way. It’s like everyone is doing this huge group-therapy session, globally.”

A Jew who converted to Islam, Silvers says Muslims face fewer dietary restrictions. “I wanted to be an Orthodox Jew. And it’s actually too hard to do. You can be a conservative Muslim and it’s quite easy.”

Ramadan observers aren’t required to wait until sundown to begin meal preparation. Indeed, tasting is allowed during cooking, but no swallowing.

“There’s a ruling that says it’s OK to taste it and you can find a ruling that says you’re going to die and burn in hell if you taste it,” says Silvers. “There’s a ruling for everything in Islam.”

RECIPES

“Preparing food when you’re hungry is actually a delight,” says Laury Silvers, professor of Islamic studies at U of T.

Don’t be afraid to spend time in the kitchen during Ramadan. But if you don’t want to spend the afternoon making a tajine, here are a couple of low-maintenance alternatives. They need little work and reheat well.

The harira soup is adapted from a recipe from Silvers. She learned to cook while living in Morocco from women who could tell if food had enough salt just by the smell of it.

“Moroccan women scoff at measurements,” comes an explanation in one of her recipe collections, which call for amounts such as “a grabful” and “an enormous handful of black raisins or if you have small hands two handfuls”.

There are as many harira recipes as there are cooks, she tells me. I’ve slightly adapted her Marrakesh version.

“The bowls should be small because the guests must have seconds, it’s a rule,” she advises. “If the bowls are large, your guests will be too full of soup to honor you with the request for more.”

Harira Soup

½ cup (118 ml) dried chickpeas

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

8 cups (1.9 L) water

1 tomato, finely diced

1 tbsp tomato paste

½ bunch cilantro (about ½ cup), finely chopped

½ bunch parsley (about ½ cup), finely chopped

½ cup rice

5 tbsp flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon, cut into six wedges

Soak chickpeas in water overnight. Drain and rinse.

In large pot on medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil, about 6 minutes. Add cumin and turmeric, stir. Add chickpeas and water. Keep at medium boil until beans are tender, but not mushy, about 45 minutes. Add diced tomato, tomato paste, cilantro, parsley and rice. Cook until rice is soft, about 15 minutes. Whisk flour with a bit of water. Stir into soup. Cook another five minutes. Serve with wedges of lemon. Serves six.

SECOND RECIPE

Because dates are a common Ramadan thread, I came up with a dish that showcases the fruit. Don’t bother unless you get the succulent, sweet medjool dates. This can be served hot or cold.

Quinoa and Date Salad

6 medjool dates

½ cup (118 ml) roasted almonds

½ cup (118 ml) quinoa

Splash of olive oil

Zest 1 lemon

1 tbsp grated ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup soft goat cheese

Pit dates and slice into strips.

In a food processor or mortar and pestle, loosely crush almonds without turning them into paste.

Heat a large pot of water to a medium boil. Add quinoa. Cook until soft but still crunchy, about 20 minutes. Strain. Mix with olive oil, lemon zest, ginger, cinnamon, dates and half of almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Assemble in bowls. Garnish with remaining almonds and crumbled goat cheese, torn into chunks.

Serves four.

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